52 PROCEEDINGS OF NINETEENTH FRUIT GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



two months a gentleman from South Africa has been in Fresno, exam- 

 ining into the conditions of soil and irrigation, character and amount 

 of fruits to be raised. If they are as intelligent and enterprising as 

 this, I think we ought to know it, and make ourselves more active. One 

 of the ways to bring this about is by the question of transportation. 

 Our deciduous fruits, if sent to foreign markets in refrigerator vessels, 

 will solve this fruit question in the State of California. The marketing 

 of fruit by way of refrigerator vessels is a condition of things that is 

 beginning to prevail in South America and in South Africa. 



RESOLUTION ON THE NICARAGUA CANAL. 



Mr. Berwick offered the following resolution: 



Resolved, That this convention of California horticulturists, assembled at Sacramento 

 this 6th day of November, 1895, is profoundly impressed with the fact that the future of 

 the California fruit industry depends on enlarged markets and improved means of trans- 

 portation. It realizes that keen competition is arising in all quarters of the globe, and 

 that in this competition the Pacific States are heavily handicapped by geographical 

 conditions. It further realizes that the cutting of the Nicaragua Canal would remove 

 that handicap, and open the markets of the world to the fruit-growers of those States. 

 It therefore most earnestly prays the Senate and Congress of the United, States to take 

 such action as shall insure the immediate construction of the Nicaragua Canal. 



The resolution was referred to the Committee on Resolutions. 



Major Berry: Concerning the transportation of fruit to eastern points 

 overland, we have the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific for that pur- 

 pose. They would be our natural outlets until this canal is built. The 

 canal will not be constructed for many years, and we should consider our 

 present mode of transportation. The Committee on Transportation has 

 been at work, I presume, with the Southern Pacific, to secure a reduc- 

 tion of rates, and to facilitate better time in transportation. Every- 

 thing that is produced from the soil of California, as well as in the 

 United States generally, has been subjected to a shrinkage of about 50 

 per cent in its value. Bartlett pears have sold from a cent to as low as 

 half a cent at home, and so on, all the way through. Potatoes that 

 were worth $1 go begging at 50 cents a sack. Everything, except trans- 

 portation rates, has shrunk in proportion. I believe that the point 

 before the convention is to ascertain what we can do to reduce the 

 charges on transportation. 



Now, we know that we have a pretty hard road to travel. In regard 

 to the reduction of freight rates, it appears that we can place our fruits 

 by the process we have adopted, and I would insist on the necessity of 

 going to solicit the favor of a reduction — pass a resolution, and go there 

 and make a request that we must have a reduction. Of course, you will 

 say that the request will be denied, that it would be unacknowledged; 

 but, if we fruit-growers of California believe in our strength, and work 

 as one man, our strength would be enough to make the Southern Pacific 

 Company come to reasonable terms, and the sooner we know that, the 

 better off we will be. 



The question is, " How are you going to do it? " By acting in unison, 

 and by going in a body strong enough to enforce demands. I suggested, 

 many years ago, when the population of 'this State was about half a 

 million, that enough could be saved out of railroad freights to build a 

 parallel road to Ogden and, of course, survey the line. If we make a 

 demand, it will be granted to us, and I say that we should instruct our 



